Toy



Patented Sept. 2, 1947 UNITED STATES.

TOY

John Ercolani, New Haven, 001111..

Application August 8, 1944, Serial No. 548 531 3 Claims. 1

Thi invention relates to toys: and. more particularl to that class. of toys generally known as figure toys. or jumping jacks and wherein the figure is made to assume various acrobatic positions by manual manipulation of the toy.

The toy of. this invention, is particularly useful for the amusement of young children, being easily manipulated, andbeing safe for use, and. especially by children who are of an age when they arefirst beginning touse their hands for grasping articles.

Oneof the objects ofthis' invention is to provide a toy of theabove naturehaving novel and easily manipulated means to actuate it in its structure.

Another object is to-provide'in such a toy novel supporting means whereby it will beparticularly safe in operation.

A further object is. to provide in atoy of the abovenature operating means requiring only the pressure developed when. closing the hand to actuate it.

A. still further object-of this invention is to pro-- vide an. improved toy of the above nature which will be relatively simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, readil and safely manipulated, compact, and very eflicient and durable in.use..

With these and; other objects in View, Which will: appear as the description proceeds, there havebeen illustrated in. the accompanying drawings a preferredand modified form in which the features, and principles. of this invention may be embodied inv practice, it being understood that various-changes maybe made withinthe scope of what-is claimed without.- departing from-the spirit of.- the invention.

Inthe drawings:

Figure 1 isl-aside eleyat-ional view'of a toy em-- bodying. the features. and. principles of this in vention in; its structure;

Figurez is, an enlarged partial topview of the t y;

Figure3 an-enlarged bottomzview of the toy parts. not; shown inJiigure 2.;

Figure 4 man-enlarged sectionalview taken on the line 4*4' of: Figure 1,;

Figure 5 is a, broken side View. o-fia modified form; of operatingv means; and;

Eigureoiis a, broken end view of; the" operating means .illustratedsin, Figure, 5;

Referring now" to; the drawings; wherein like ref erence; numerals designate like; partsv throughout the several;viewsgthefnumeral; ll denotes a; fi wh chxm'ay'be of amusing-1 nature, com- 1 pin 18.

posed-of a body t2; apair Ofi legsv I3 and E4; which are pivoted totswing upon a pivot. |=5-,. and a. pair of arms; t5 and I511, each of? WhiiG'h-a is pivoted;v atits lower end' to. thebody la! acommonapivot Each arm. is. spaced from. the: body Ilby a sleeve 19... The upper. end: of each arm is DiVOtEdzuIJOH a; rod. 215- to besupportedthereby: and; about which. the entire. figure; may rotate. The rod 2t: constitutes. one of theoperating; members of the toy.

The; rod. 2 I. is supported;- by' a handle.- member comprising an el'ongatedigroovedi member 22 having a cylindrical member, or button, 23 secured. to one. of its ends. and a; engageable por tion 24. secured tothe other end of themember 2-2: and extending: at an. obtuse angle:v t the; axisof. the member 22; and of: thetrod M. The. rod 2t extends through the cylindrical. member.= 2:2,. in and along a grooye 2E providedin" the member 22:, and through. the upperend ofth'e per-- tion 24.. In this structuratherod 7:1 is: supported l at each end of: the handle. member, and inter mediate. these: supported points, is covered by lyingWithirrthe-grooveJ 51in thezmemb'er 22;

They rod 24; extends. without. and: beyond: the hand engageable portion 24. andzis. pivotall'y sen-i cured to another hand engageabl'e.=. part 26- by having its end formed into a hook 21 which is hooked'over a pin 28. extending crosswise through the part 26s The. part; 2& is: grooved, as at 259 to freely receive the hook: end; 23:. The. lower ends of the handengageable portion. 24 audit-he part 2a are hinged together, for instance, by a. strip of leather 3!. tacked, or otherwise secured; to these ends, by tacks 32. and 3&respectivel-y.

The other end of the rod 2.1. p-assesthroughand is secured, ina cylindrical member, on button; 34;. The spaced apart arms: 16: and ll of the figure are disposed on. the rod: El substantially midway between the. member 2% and; the: member 3 1. A cord 35; is threadedv through. an opening 3'6 provided: in the member, 3 their obliquely disposedacross and over the rod: 21; to and threaded through an opening 31 provided in the. arm t6- From. the opening 3'1; the cord; passes through one end, of a loop member 38: and is their threaded through an: opening as provided in the. arm I 1 The cord 35 is then obliquely/disposedacross and over the rod 21 to; and.' threaded: through anopen-e ing 44 in; the member 23.. 'Ilhe: cord:-

thena wrapped-, as at, 40;, downwardly. and around the; adjacent end or the cylindricaikl member 22- and; threaded through an opening; provided; in; the: member 23. From the opening: 42 card 315? obliquely crosses the: rod 2!? in: under the: same obliquely crosses in under the rod 2I and is threaded through an opening 45 provided in the member 34. The cord ends outside of the member 34 tied together in a knot 46.

The openings 33, 44, 43, and M in the member 34, arm I6, arm I1, and member 23 respectively are all spaced from one side of the rod 2! and their axes are in alignment and parallel to the axis of said rod. The openings 45, 31, 39, and f;

42, in the member 34, arm I6, arm I1, and member 23 respectively are all spaced from the other side of the rod 2I and their axes are in align ment with and parallel to the axis of the rod 2I and with the axes of the openings 35, 44, 43 and M.

The figure II may be made to assume various acrobatic positions and to swing about the rod 2I by compressing together the hand engageable portion 24 and the hand engageable part 26 (see dotted lines in Figure l). The compressing together of the portion 24 and the part 26 separates the members 23 and '35 whereby the cord 35 is untwisted to assume an uncrossed position (see dotted lines in Figure 2) in respect to the rod 2| and by so doing rotates the arms I6 and I1 upon the rod 2 I. Being pivoted to the arms I6 and H, the .body I2 swings on the'pivot pin I8 and the legs I3 and I4 swing on the pivot pin I5. In the structure illustrated the amount of movement of the portion 24 and the part 25 toward each other is substantially equal to the amount of movement of the members 23 and 34 away from each other, The actuation of the device is easy to accomplish as the portion 24 and the part 26 are grasped by the hand of the user',

and require but relatively slightpressure by the closing of the hand to cause the cord to become untwisted to move'the' figure as above described.

By the provision of the elongated rod supporting handle member constituted by the member 23,

. cylindrical member 22 and hand engageable portion 24, the figure I I is supported a sufficient distance from the hand of the user to avoid the possibility of it striking said hand whereby the "toy is safe to be used by young children, By looping the cord back of the member 33 and around the cylindrical member 22 each strand of the cord 35 will have equal tension thereon. By passing the strands of the cord through a loop member 38 instead of tying them at this point or to the arms, also allows freedom of movement wardly therefrom, a first button secured to the 1 4 v-shaped metallic member 5I the cord 35 will be returned to its twisted position should the figure I I be of insufficient weight to do so.

It will be understood that the novel features and principles of this invention may be embodied in other specific forms Without departing from the spirit and essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiments be considered in all respects as illustrative, and not restrictive, reference being had to the claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. In a toy of the class described, the combination of outer and inner handle members hingedly connected-together at their lower ends and adapted to be pressed'together at their upper ends, an elongated member, having a lengthwise groove therein, secured at the upper end of said inner handle member and extending forend of said grooved member, a rod having one end hingedly fastened to the outer handle member, adjacent its upper ,end and extending,

passes, pivotally hung from said rod intermediate said buttons, each of said figure elements having a hole therethrough at each side of said rod, each of said-buttons having a hole extending therethrough at each side ofsaid r0d,and a length of cord extending from one button'to the other at each side of said rod and passing 7 through the holes,therein at the same'side of said rod, crossing the rod and passingthrough holes in said figure elements on the sameside of said rod, crossing the rod and passing through the holes in said figure elements at thev other thereof and thus equal tension on each strand is provided. Equal tension on the strands of the cord 35 reduces the possibility of breakage of the cord and thus increases the life of the toy, and also'obviates the possibilit of the rod 2I being I6 and I1, thus requiring more pressure to actuate the toy.

Figures 5' and 6 illustrate modifications inthe form of certain parts of the previously described form of device. In place of the two parts 24 and bent and binding in its support, or in the arms side of said rod.

2. In a toy of the class described, the combinae 1 tion of relatively wide outer and inner. handle members hinged together attheir lower ends and being spaced apart and adapted to 1 be members, an elongated member having a lengthwise opening therein secured at oneof its ends to the upper end of the inner handle member and extending forwardly therefrom, a firstfbut-' ton secured to the forward end of said elongated member, a rod having one of its ends fastened to the outer handle member adjacent 'its'upper end and extending loosely through said inner,

handle 'member, through the opening in said elongated member, and through and beyond the first button, a second ,button' fastened to the outer front end of said rod, a loose jointed figure having a pair of spaced apart elements,

through which the rod passes, pivotally hung from said rod intermediate the buttons, each of said figure elements having a hole there'through' at each side of the rod, each of said buttons 1 having a hole extending lengthwise therethrough at eachv side of the rod, and a length of cord passing through a hole inand extending 7 from one button, crossing to the other sideof the rod and passing through a hole in each fig ure element and crossing the rod to a hole in the other'button, then passing through a; hole in the latter button, crossing the rod and passing through a hole in each of the figure elements and crossing the rod to a hole in the other button, said cord being looped about the outer end of one button and having its ends brought together and tied about the outer end of the other button.

3. In a toy of the class described, the combination of a relatively wide outer and inner handle members fastened together at their lower ends and being spaced apart and adapted to be pressed together at their upper ends by the pressure of closing the hand grasping the handle members, an elongated member having a lengthwise opening therein secured at one of its ends to the upper end of the inner handle member and extending forwardly therefrom, a, first button secured to the forward end of said elongated member, a rod having one of its ends fastened to the outer handle member adjacent its upper end and extending loosely through said inner handle member, through the opening in said elongated member, and through and beyond the first button, a second button fastened to the outer front end of said rod, a loose jointed figure having a pair of spaced apart elements, through which the rod passes, pivotally hung from said rod intermediate the buttons, each of said figure elements having a hole therethrough at each side of the rod, each of said buttons having a hole extending lengthwise therethrough at each side of the rod, and a length of cord ex tending from one button to the other at each side of said rod and passing through the holes therein at the same side of said rod, crossing the rod and passing through the holes in said figure elements at the other side of said rod, and a ring encircling the cord lengths and the rod at a point intermediate said figure elements.

JOHN ERCOLANI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

